How To Make A Simple Strawberry Syrup

Hey there! Today’s post is brought to you by my desire to confess how much I do not like syrup. And when I say syrup, I mean the brown kind that is made with high fructose corn syrup. Yes, that would make me a syrup snob and I’m okay with that.

Let me explain why I don’t like most syrups on the grocery store shelves.

If you were to look at some of the nutrition labels for syrups, you’ll notice that many of them start with high fructose corn syrup.

This is NOT GOOD!

Nutrition labels always list the highest ingredient first. So if you see HFCS as the first ingredient, then that’s the bulk of whatever is in that bottle. In this case: syrup. The problem I have with consuming something with such a high amount of HFCS is that it is a highly processed ingredient.

Sugar is sugar no matter how you look at it, and all forms of sugar should be used in careful moderation, but at least with homemade syrup, you’re getting a more natural and minimally processed product. You control how much sugar is going into your food.

If you’re not used to reading nutrition labels, you might want to start doing so. You’ll learn so much about the food you are consuming. Some of those labels might even scare you with their long list of additives and preservatives. Corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup are one of the most commonly used ingredients in MANY processed foods, including sandwich bread! I don’t get that! For what?!! Do we really need HFCS in our bread?

I’m gonna go out on a limb here and guess that HFCS has no reason to be in bread. That’s just me though. Others might feel differently, and that’s okay too.

It just bothers me that so many of the products we see and purchase in grocery stores have HFCS in them as an added sugar when in reality, it may not always be necessary.

Anyway, that’s my two-cent rant for the day. Thanks for listening.

I’ll leave you with my homemade strawberry syrup now. I hope you like it.

It’s fantastic on ice cream by the way!

You’ll need three cups of strawberries. Rinse, hull, and slice them into halves.

The syrup will be thinner (runnier) than a typical syrup that you find in stores. If you prefer a thicker syrup, use 1/2 cup water.

For the sweetener, you can also use granulated sugar instead of honey. Both do the job just fine, but if the strawberries you’re using are more on the sour side, use granulated sugar instead of honey. If you’re using strawberries during their peak season and you have a lot of sweet ones, use honey. You may even be able to get away with using no added sugar if they’re sweet enough!

Bring the water to a low boil, reduce heat to medium-low. Continue boiling on a low simmer for 15 minutes. Remove some of the foam that comes to the top as it simmers. After 15 minutes, check to see if it’s close to the consistency that you want. If not, keep it on a low simmer until it’s close to your desired consistency. Remember that it will continue to thicken a little more as it cools.

Turn off the heat and let it cool at least 20 minutes.

Separate the pulp and syrup by straining through a fine mesh sieve.

For a clearer syrup, don’t press the strawberry pulp while it’s in the sieve.

If you don’t mind a cloudy syrup, press the remaining juices out of the pulp as much as you want.

If you leave the pulp in the sieve over a large bowl or measuring cup and let it strain itself, you won’t have to do much to it. It will slowly strain out the syrup all by itself.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge up to two weeks.

Don’t be afraid to change it up a little. Maybe try making a blueberry syrup or pineapple syrup. You can even make a jam out of the cooked strawberries!

As always, I encourage you to have fun with new recipes and experiment with what you have learned, with ingredients that you love. The reward of a successful experiment is also one that teaches you a life skill. So get cookin’!

Ingredients

Instructions

Bring the water to a low boil, reduce heat to medium-low. Continue boiling on a low simmer for 15 minutes. Remove some of the foam that comes to the top as it simmers. After 15 minutes, check to see if it’s close to the consistency that you want. If not, keep it on a low simmer until it’s close to your desired consistency. Remember that it will continue to thicken a little more as it cools.

Turn off the heat and let it cool at least 20 minutes.

Separate the pulp and syrup by straining through a fine mesh sieve.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge up to two weeks.

Recipe Notes

The syrup will be thinner (runnier) than a typical syrup that you find in stores. If you prefer a thicker syrup, use 1/2 cup water.

For the sweetener, you can also use granulated sugar instead of honey. Both do the job just fine, but if the strawberries you’re using are more on the sour side, use granulated sugar instead of honey. If you’re using strawberries during their peak season and you have a lot of sweet ones, use honey.

For a clearer syrup, don’t press the strawberry pulp while it’s in the sieve.

If you don’t mind a cloudy syrup, press the remaining juices out of the pulp as much as you want.

If you leave the pulp in the sieve over a large bowl or measuring cup and let it strain itself, you won’t have to do much to it. It will slowly strain out the syrup all by itself.

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